Ours Is The Fury
by King Mufasa
Summary: King Robert Baratheon goes on a hunt and returns unharmed. This alternative storyline sets a different arc of events in motion. The story will be told from the point of view of various characters.
1. Cersei

**Chapter 1**

**Cersei**

Sitting in her comfortable chair next to the Iron Throne, Cersei was waiting for her husband to return from his hunt. She had done everything according to her plan. Her cousin Lancel Lannister, the King's squire, had been instructed to give the King too much of his strongest wine. It would make him vulnerable to an attack resulting in his death or at least a mortal wounding. The only concern she still had was that someone would protect her husband somehow. The coward Lancel would not risk his life for the king and she also did not believe that Renly Baratheon would be able to hit something else than Ser Loras Tyrell. No, those two would definitely not spoil her plan, but Ser Barristan Selmy might be able to interfere and ruin it. After all, it was for a good reason he was known as one of the finest swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms.

Though she had detested Robert for almost all seventeen years of his reign, it had to happen today. She knew Eddard Stark had found out about the parentage of her children and she also knew that he would not hesitate to tell the king about this. Stupid fool as he was, he had confronted her about this and he had even warned her to escape the city. Did the honorable Ned Stark truly believe that she, the Queen and daughter of the richest man in Westeros, would become a fugitive with her three children and would live the rest of her days as some unimportant lowborn? No, she was a Lannister and she had always been smarter, especially compared to those stubborn Starks. Since Jon Arryn had died and Ned Stark had become the new Hand of the King, the Starks had been nothing but a nuisance to her. It all started with the little boy Bran, who had caught Jaime and her in the act. Luckily, the boy does not remember anything from his fall. Then there was Lady Stark, who for some reason had accused her imp brother Tyrion Lannister of an assassination attempt on Bran and has taken him as her prisoner. Sansa Stark had some courtesy at least, but that little rat Arya also brought nothing but trouble, especially when her monstrous wolf had attacked Joffrey. She also could not stand Lord Stark himself, with his stubborn attitude and excessive obsession for honor. She wished Jaime had killed him, when he attacked the Stark party last week; that way he would not have found out about their secret. She could have lied herself out of such an incident, by telling Robert that Ned Stark attacked Jaime and that he had just been defending himself. Now it was a lot more complicated, but she hoped all would be over soon.

Her gaze was fixed upon the Iron Throne. Soon her boy would sit there, instead of that fat drinking and whoring cunt she called her husband. Though Joffrey still had a lot to learn, she believed he would grow into a strong and wise king. "The Golden Boy" they would call him later and she also believed the crown would fit his handsome face and golden hair perfectly. However, she had to act smart before the time was there. She had to deal with Ned Stark first, who would probably be appointed Protector of the Realm by Robert until Joffrey would come of age. She did not want to wait for that, especially because of his knowledge about Joffrey's parentage. Nevertheless, she also wanted to prevent an expensive and exhaustive war with the North. The debts to the Iron Bank were already high enough, thanks to Robert's great skills of governance. Therefore Lord Stark was not to be killed. Instead she would offer him the opportunity to return to Winterfell with his daughters in peace, so he could continue his miserable life there being loyal to the crown. The only condition that he had to fulfill in return, was to swear loyal to Joffrey. She knew that Ned Stark would hate to do that, but she also knew he hated King's Landing even more and that he probably wanted to protect his daughters at all costs. Even the honorable Ned Stark would most likely not resist the temptation to swear loyal to the new king in exchange for the continuation of his comfortable family life.

At that very moment her husband rushed in. She could not believe her eyes. Robert was alive and he did not appear to be wounded. What had happened? There was no time for her to think about it as he struck her in the face.

"Was this some kind of trick of yours, woman?!" he shouted furiously.

"I have no idea what you are talking about, my dear."

She tried to maintain her dignity by conceiving the pain unaffectedly.

"Quiet now. Though I have no proof of it, I know it was you who instructed that stupid cousin of yours to make me too fucking drunk to stand on my own legs. Do you really think I am that stupid?"

Cersei said nothing as he continued his rage.

"After having slain Rhaegar Targaryen and many other Targaryen followers, do you really think that Robert Baratheon would let himself get killed by some foolish animal? I already knew you were pathetic, but I never realized you are also incredibly stupid!"

"Why do you think I would do such a thing to you?" she asked nervously; now her husband had found out her plan, it became harder for her to uphold her neutrality.

"You better ask that to yourself, woman. Don't further challenge me or..."

"Or what?" she interrupted him, "Would you throw me in some dark dungeon? Would you let my head be chopped off by Ilyn Payne? You know my father would be furious..."

Robert was silence for a moment. He knew she had a point there, even though he could not stand it. He shook his head and took his seat on the Iron Throne.

"Tywin Lannister should remember who is king", he said a little bit more tempered.

"And you should remember to whom you owe your crown and who is still waiting for his debts to be paid."

Having that said, she turned around so her back faced the king, grabbed her dress and walked back toward the big doors of the Throne Room.

"Run away woman, I won't forget this!" the king shouted after her.

His words concluded what had been a very awkward conversation for her. Walking out of the Throne Room, she crossed paths with the limping Eddard Stark, who was going to see the king. At that moment she realized he was going to tell him. It meant she had to act fast, really fast. Robert was already furious and the upcoming news would fuel his wrath towards her even more. She walked to the nearest Kingsguard who happened to be Ser Meryn Trant.

"Ser Meryn?"

"Yes, My Queen?"

"Gather my children immediately at the courtyard. I will be waiting for you there. I want all three of them: Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen."

"Understood, Your Grace."

If he was fast enough, she might stand a chance...


	2. Eddard

**Chapter 2**

**Eddard**

"Your Grace?"

"What's up Ned?" Robert looked clearly distressed. Something was definitely wrong with the king as he did not even look at him. He just sat on the Iron Throne and gazed at the ceiling, as if the answer for his trouble was written on it.

"Something wrong, Your Grace?" Ned asked.

He looked Ned in the eyes with a mix of rage and confusion in his face.

"That bitch wanted me dead. She told Lancel to give me too much wine, so it would dull my senses and some shitty animal could kill me then."

Wow, Ned had not expected this. However, knowing that he had confronted Cersei with his findings already, he was not totally surprised. In the few months he had lived in King's Landing he had learned that the Queen would do anything to get what she wanted. Regicide would definitely not be a bridge too far for her. In fact, trying to murder Robert in a way it looked like an accident seemed to be quite a safe option, as long as it would succeed. And she had terribly failed.

"Do you know that for sure, Your Grace?"

"Of course I do. That fool Lancel told me after I almost strangled the life out of him. I had instructed him beforehand which wine I wanted him to bring on my hunt. Cersei had given him different instructions for a much stronger wine. Call me an alcoholic, but don't tell me I cannot taste the difference between my own wines. First, I became mad at him for bringing the wrong wine with him. While strangling him I asked why he had ignored my orders. Then he uttered Cersei's name. At that very moment I would have killed him on the spot, hadn't Ser Barristan interfered."

"What happened then?" Ned asked.

"We returned immediately. I felt I had to hunt for that vicious woman first."

Ned could not suppress a smile despite the grave situation. During the past few months the Lannisters had wronged him so much. His son Bran was a crippled and almost dead boy, according to his wife and Littlefinger Tyrion Lannister was behind this. Cersei had manipulated the king to order him to kill Lady, Sansa's dire wolf. He had executed her himself, the poor animal. The Kingslayer had attacked him and his men on the streets of King's Landing; he had killed Jory and crippled Ned himself. His old friend Jon Arryn was allegedly murdered by the Lannisters and now he knew why.

"Where is she now?"

"I don't care Ned, as long as she is not in my presence. She better stay far away for a long long time! Never mind, why are you here?"

Robert already looked furiously, what would happen when Ned told him his news?

"There is something I have to discuss with you, Your Grace", he began.

"Tell me."

Ned took a deep breath and continued.

"Since you appointed me as Hand of the King, I have conducted research on the death of my predecessor and our dear friend Jon Arryn. They say he was poisoned, so I wanted to know who would want him dead and for what reason."

"Who told you he was poisoned?" the king asked.

"Varys, Your Grace. He gave me some information about the poison that was used and the alleged assassin, but he did not know the exact reason why Jon Arryn was murdered. However, he could tell me what Lord Arryn had been involved in during the last months of his life."

"And that is?"

"He had been reading in _The Lineage and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms_. He was interested in your various bastard children. He even met one of them, the boy Gendry who lives at the blacksmith of King's Landing..."

"Yes, I know about the boy", Robert looked a little irritated, "why in the seven hells would Jon Arryn be interested in my bastards?! That is none of his business!"

"That's exactly what I thought as well, Your Grace. I mean, what does it matter? There had to be a reason, especially because Varys warned me that you might be in danger as well. And that turned out to be true..."

"Are you suggesting that Cersei poisoned Jon Arryn? Why didn't he tell me?!"

"That I don't know", Ned continued, "but I did realize something when I spoke with my daughters about going back to Winterfell. I felt that their safety could not be secured any longer and I wanted them to return. Both of them bluntly refused. Then Sansa told me that Joffrey was not like his father. He was a lion and not a stag, that was what she told me. I could not forget what she said. Then I borrowed the book from Grand Maester Pycelle..."

"Ned, what the hell are you trying to tell me", the king interrupted him, "I am not in a very good mood right now, so if there is a point to this, you better find it quickly."

Ned Stark took another deep breath. He had to tell him.

"My king, my dear friend Robert, I am very sorry to tell you this unfortunate news. Since Orys Baratheon founded your house, there have been no children born to a Baratheon who did not have the typical dark-brown hair. It never mattered what hair color the other parent had, nor whether the Baratheon was the mother or the father. The Baratheon hair color has always been the dominant one. As far as the book goes, there have been only three exceptions..."

He paused for a moment as he saw the king narrowing his eyes. Was he making sense or would he not believe him at all?

"Those three exceptions are Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen Baratheon: all three were born with the Lannister golden-blond hair."

Again he looked up towards the king who did not turn his gaze away from him.

"No, Ned. No no no, what in the seven hells are you suggesting here? You cannot be serious, did the Kingslayer also attack your brains or what? Are you trying to tell me that I am not the father of my children?"

"Yes, Your Grace", Ned answered reluctantly.

"How dare you to come to me with such nonsense while I have seven kingdoms to rule?! You are my Hand, you are supposed to give me good advice! And at the very moment I realized my wife had tried to kill me, you come to me with this story? I trust you Ned, I trust you as my closest friend and brother I chose, but this I will not forget. I know why you are telling me this. You hate the Lannisters, don't you? And given the peculiar situation already, you try to take advance of that by trying to fool me with a really poor fantasy story!"

Both men were silent for a moment. The King looked absolutely enraged, while Ned Stark did not really know how to make sense of this. The king did not believe him! He had not expected that, especially not after his long research. He wanted to be absolutely sure so a situation like this would be prevented, yet it was escalating anyways. Should he have waited for another day, when the king's temper had been better? Cersei might have done some more terrible things by then. No, he had to convince Robert, but how?

"Is that really how you think of me, My King?" it was the only thing to say that came to his mind at this very moment. He started to become frustrated as well, not because of the insults Robert made (he had known him long enough to know he did not mean this), but because of the urgency of his message which Robert did not believe at all.

"Anything else to say, Lord Stark?" the sarcasm almost spat from his tongue.

Ned smirked. He actually had.

"There is one more thing, Your Grace. I did confront the Queen with my findings you do not believe."

It was then that Robert's face suddenly changed. His eyes widened and he looked like he was definitely taken by surprise.

"You did? And what did she say?" Robert asked.

"She did not deny it. She even defended herself by stating that the Targaryens had been inbreeding for generations. It was their way to keep the bloodline pure. So she did."

He watched Robert as he did not say a thing. He could understand this perfectly, it was definitely a lot to realize.

"I am sorry, Your Grace..."

"But then it is true...", Robert said full of disbelief. "The rumors about Cersei and the Kingslayer have always been true... and I have been too foolish to see the truth for myself, how could I?"

"I don't think that is foolish, I also could not believe it myself when I first learned of it. It is so disgusting... but what do we do now?"

"That is a very good question, Ned. What do we do now... you are my Hand, come on give me some good advice! I really need it now!"

Ned looked upon the king with such mixed feelings. As a friend, he wanted to comfort him; it is such a terrible thing to realize that you have been betrayed all those years by your wife and on top of that you learn that your children are not yours. As Hand of the King, he was expected to talk some sense into the king and to get the most practical matters done as soon as possible.

"Let's not take some hasty decisions, Your Grace. We should call the Small Council together, I would like to know how they think about this matter. But first, we should secure Cersei and the children."

"You are right about that, Ned. Ser Barristan!"

Ned turned around and watched Ser Barristan, who had been guarding the large door to the throne room, walking in.

"Yes, Your Grace?" the old knight asked.

"Go and seize Cersei and the children. Lock them up in some dark dungeon I don't care where. Make sure they cannot escape!"

Ser Barristan frowned with a surprising look. "Are you sure about this, My King?"

The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard looked towards Ned Stark, who answered his questioned look with a confirmative nod.

"As you command, Your Grace", he replied.

Ned knew that it would be done as soon as possible, if Ser Barristan was the one in command. He had never met a more loyal, honorable and skilled knight than Barristan Selmy. It was a good thing that Robert had saved his life after the Battle of the Trident and pardoned him for his service to the Targaryens. He had really proved himself to be a worthy and noble Kingsguard.

"Now Ned, if you will excuse me, I want to have a moment for my own. Let me know when you have gathered the Small Council. For these urgent matters, I will not hesitate to join you."

"Of course, Your Grace. But before I leave, what do we do with the Kingslayer?"

"Good point, it almost slipped my mind. I order you to send him a message in my name. Tell him that he is summoned to come to King's Landing within four days to answer for his crimes. Tell him that he is dismissed from the Kingsguard from now on, and that he is stripped from all ranks and titles he is holding. And tell him that if he refuses, he will be considered a traitor and an enemy of the crown."

"As you command, my King." Ned Stark wondered whether these grave measures would somewhat temper the ego of Jaime Lannister.

Ned's first part of his plan had succeeded. He had told Robert and though he did not believe him at first, his ultimate reaction had been quite reasonable. Knowing Robert's tempers all too well, it could have been much worse. However, he did not know yet what would happen to Cersei and the children. He wanted them to be spared and therefore he had given her the opportunity to escape. After what she had done to Robert then, he no longer felt any mercy towards her. Nevertheless, he realized that she and her children could not be just executed. It would result in a war against their most important creditor Tywin Lannister, the worst case scenario given the bankruptcy of the crown. Not only would they lose their financial backbone, the war itself would cost far too much wasted money and innocent lives. That should be his message and that of the Small Council. No more war.


	3. Tyrion

**Chapter 3**

**Tyrion**

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

Tyrion Lannister slowly opened his eyes and gazed right in the face of his brother Jaime.

"Father wants to speak with us."

"What time is it?" the Imp mumbled.

"Time for you to get your little ass moving. You've been sleeping through midday. Now get up and make your way to Father's tent. He told me it's kind of an urgent matter."

Tyrion yawned as he sat on the edge of the bed, his feet hovering in midair. He jumped down and walked towards the only chair in his room on which he had left his clothes. His bedroom inside a tent in the Lannister camp was a simple one, yet it was a lot better than the sky cell of the Eyrie.

"Well well, I wouldn't dare to disobey father. After all, I'd never want to disappoint the man", he said somewhat grudgingly as he put his head through his shirt.

Jamie could not suppress a smile. "All your adventures haven't change you the slightest bit."

Tyrion paused for a moment. "Well they did, at least somewhat. Now I know that I am really scared of heights. I like my bedroom to be surrounded by four walls at least. Those sky cells kind of startle you; I could not even get a nice sleep. And I also learned that sell-swords can be trusted as long as you promise them enough money. The same goes for hill tribes. They are kind of different, but so am I."

"Lucky for you, you usually keep low. Now hurry up, see you in ten minutes."

Tyrion put on his boots. It was nice that he finally could put on some clean and fresh clothes. A few months ago he would not have believed what he had gone through and where he was now. It had all started with his journey with the royal party to Winterfell. From there he had made it to the Wall and he had even peed off it. He had shared some interesting conversations with Ned Stark's bastard son, Jon Snow. The boy was a nice guy and a skilled fighter, but still so naïve Tyrion thought. He even believed the Night's Watch were some kind of noble knighthood, since he had only known his uncle Benjen Stark before he decided to take the black. Soon he had learned the truth about it. On his way back to King's Landing together with the Night's Watch company, Tyrion's journey had taken an unexpected turn at the Crosswood Inn. It was there where Catelyn Stark who had accused him of trying to murder her son, Bran Stark, who had tragically fallen from a tower during the royal visit to Winterfell. It had turned him into a crippled boy. However, his mother had been damned convinced that Tyrion had been involved in an assassination attempt on her son. She had claimed that his dagger had been involved, but why would someone use his dagger and say it belonged to him? He still could not believe that Lady Stark was really thinking that he would be stupid enough the give his own knife to the assassin, assuming that he would have done it. It appeared to him that someone had convinced her that he was involved in it. Probably someone in King's Landing, and one day he would find out whom it was. He hoped he or she would hang for it. It could also be Cersei after all, in fact he could not think of someone else who wanted him dead except for his father. But his father started this war to get him free and had started raiding the Riverlands, therefore it would not make sense that he was involved in it this time. Yet the thought did not leave his mind; he definitely wanted to find out the truth one day. Someone wanted to get rid of him, but he had decided to stay around a little longer.

The trial by combat at the Vale had saved his life. Oh, how he detested Lady Arryn and her breast-sucking son. The only things he had in common with that boy was that they were both small and they both had a love for titties, but luckily his love was not the same kind Robin's was. The little brat became even more annoying when Tyrion realized that all that that spoiled kid wanted, was to see him flying through the Moon Door. The problem was that he was also his judge, would you believe it? No, he would have never got justice there, therefore he let the gods decide his fate. And they had decided to let him live, so that meant that life had some more interesting twists for him to come. They had even send an angel and he called himself Bronn. The guy was ridiculously unmannerly and blunt, but he somehow liked his style. What you saw was what you got and he got his life back thanks to this sell-sword. As long as Bronn's loyalty was still with the promise that he would get his money, he would better make the best of this bodyguard being around. After all, everyone could be an enemy to him.

He walked outside his tent, looked around and noticed that it was indeed past midday already. The soldiers were doing their usual routines; some were practicing their fighting skills, while others were patrolling or having their lunch. For a moment he wondered where Bronn was. However, he did not bother about it, as he knew that Bronn would go where the money was and it was still with him. He almost fell when his foot slipped into a pool of mud. Cursing to himself he hoped that all of this would be over soon. He didn't like war, as things suddenly would become so serious then. He just wanted to enjoy life, do his drinking and whoring around and be a nuisance to everyone. He was not made to fight, so he was not made to live in times of war he had concluded long ago. Luckily, he knew everything would be over soon as he was home and Father did not want to cause to much trouble which would only destabilize the realm. Having conflicts with the Starks and Tully's was not beneficial to him, as it would probably fuel more tension between Cersei and the King. No, the alliance between Robert Baratheon and House Lannister was quite a comfortable one: his father could almost do whatever he wanted and he paid the king well for it, so well that the realm had become dependable of him. This made Tywin Lannister de facto one of the most powerful men in Westeros.

As he entered his father's tent, he immediately felt something was wrong. His father stood on the other side of the room with his back turned towards him, seemingly he was in deep though with himself. Jaime was sitting at the large table and he also looked sort of concerned. What was going on? He had looked forward of the war being over soon, yet it appeared some more trouble was to come.

"You called for me, Father?"

He took his seat directly in front of Jaime. His father did not say a word. Suddenly he turned around and Tyrion noticed the distressed look on his face. He had a scroll in his hand which he threw on the table.

"Read this", he commanded, "he has my daughter."

Tyrion could not believe what his father just said. He took the scroll which had the King's seal on it. The handwriting was not Robert's, but it had been signed with his name and seal. Apparently Cersei had been captured for her role in an assassination attempt of the king.

"Why would she?" Tyrion asked, "and who told you this?"

"Your cousin Lancel told me. She had ordered him to serve the king too much of his strongest wine during a hunt so he would be killed or fatally wounded. He found out and blamed her for it. She is somewhere in the Black Cells now."

"Has she gone completely nuts?!" Tyrion was furious, "what the hell is she thinking to do such a stupid thing? Of course the king would find out. Call him a drunkard, but as a lover of wine myself, even I know that Robert would surely recognize his own wine. And it's even more foolish to give a coward like Lancel such a tricky task."

"Shut up."

His father's cold eyes stared at him for a few nerving moments.

"There is something else", he said.

At that moment Jaime gave him another scroll, also signed by the king. It was probably Ned Stark who had written this scrolls, Tyrion thought to himself. Anyway, that did not matter for now.

"Jaime Lannister is summoned to King's Landing to answer for his crimes. He has to arrive within the fourth night after the signing of this message or he and his family will be considered as traitors and enemies of the crown. Besides that, he is stripped from all his ranks and titles and dismissed from the Kingsguard from now on till the end of his days. Signed, Robert Baratheon, First of His Name, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men and Protector of the Realm... what's this all about?!"

"That is something I want to know as well. Jaime, tell me what is this all about? Have you two been secretly plotting behind my back?"

"No", Jaime answered firmly, "but I have to admit something that could explain this message."

Tyrion gazed in big surprise to his brother. He tried to make eye contact with him, but Jaime seemed to avoid his look. What was he talking about? He wouldn't dare to tell Father about their secret? And how could that be related to Cersei's actions? Don't tell him he wanted to say, but he knew that would be a stupid move. He simply said nothing. The whole situation did not make sense to him, after all.

"Go on Jaime", Tywin said.

"Back in Winterfell, I... I was there when Bran fell out of that tower."

"How?"

"Well I... I was on my own looking for a moment to relax myself. You know, after all those weeks constantly traveling with the same group, it is nice to have a little time for yourself. So I found this tower and it was perfect. No one would come looking for me there. As I almost fell asleep the boy startled me terribly. I walked towards him and grabbed him, asking what the hell he was thinking to sneak on me like that. It was stupid of me and it became even more stupid when he fell. He just fell and I could not grab him anymore as I had really not expected it and was too late. At that moment I already knew I had done a terrible thing and I could only hope the boy would live. Luckily he did."

"Luckily?" Tyrion answered, "that lucky that you sent an assassin to his bed a few weeks later with my blade?"

"That wasn't me", Jaime responded, "I have no part in that. Why would you think I would do such a thing?"

His feigned ignorance deeply annoyed Tyrion.

"Well dear brother, I do not know whether you have noticed it, but apparently someone convinced Catelyn Stark that I had tried to murder her son. You may have heard that I slept in a sky cell for that, you know by now how much I hate heights, and hadn't my ass been saved by Bronn I would have flown straight through the Moon Door. It would have been a relief to so many people to know that I am no longer around to make them feel dis-comfortable."

"Not for me Tyrion, and you know that."

"Well..."

"Cut it off", Tywin commanded, "we have important matters to discuss. Tyrion, you were right about Cersei. I do not see any sensible reason why she would do such a stupid thing. Nevertheless, we have to save our face and family. Throwing my daughter into the black cells cannot go unpunished. So my question is: what do we do now?"

"Well, we could send Jaime to kill the king. He has some experience with the matter already, so that definitely makes things easier."

His brother and father clearly did not appreciate his joke. Tywin grabbed a jug of wine and filled his cup before passing it to Jaime to refill his as well.

"If you think I have started this war to have you pour this nonsense over me, you're wrong", Tywin commented, "you claim to be smart so show me and I might see some more use in you." Tywin took a zip of his wine as he sat down.

Wel well, his father was truly flattering him. How he was happy to could be of any use to his father. Cut off the sarcasm Tyrion, he thought.

"What if we let Jaime go to King's Landing?" he asked.

"And let him join Cersei in some dark dungeon? Unacceptable." his father firmly held his lips together and stared at his cup for a moment.

"Well, actually we don't know that. We could also wait and ask Robert for an explanation."

"Do nothing, while my daughter is imprisoned? I am not the king's servant, pleading for my daughter's life. We're Lannisters, we have to act instead of react."

"You're right father", Jaime added, "if I take a large part of your army, I should be able to besiege King's Landing within four days. We will take them by surprise. As a member of the Kingsguard I..."

"Former member", Tyrion corrected.

"... I know they are not prepared for an attack. The city is undermanned and the defenses are weaker than ever."

"Wait, are you just telling us you want to throw us in another war?" Tyrion asked.

"You call it war, I'd call it... vengeance", Jaime answered smiling.

"No we won't", Tyrion responded, "it's too dangerous and it would be a disastrous political move. We have no allies and the Baratheons have just too many. The Tullys and Arryns will surely back them and so will the Starks. We will be outnumbered and defeated."

"Who is talking about politics here, dear brother? We Lannisters are the richest family of Westeros and even the king is dependent of our money. That means he better listens to our will. Besides that, I am not so sure about the Arryns backing the Baratheons. After all, you also know by now that Lysa Arryn is kind of... different. And I am not afraid of the Stark boy and his Northern armies at all, by the time he would reach us we will be hiding behind the comfortable fortification called King's Landing."

Tyrion had to agree on Lysa Arryn. Nevertheless, he still strongly disagreed with his brother.

"Still, I don't like to be bitten in the throat by the wolf, nor the stag or whatever animal. I say we use the diplomatic ways. Robert is not totally stupid, nor is he cruel or totally unreasonable. Make him clear we demand Cersei's release or we will stop our foundation of the crown. Even Robert knows what it means to have the Iron Bank turn against him. He will listen, as he is not totally mad to just chop of Cersei's head. That's why we have him on the throne, instead of the Mad King."

"And what do we do with Cersei then?" his father asked.

"Well, we wait for Robert's answer", he answered.

"Wait? That's no option. Tyrion, I told you that already. Anyway, I always thought you were an useless cunt and though I still think you are a cunt, at least most of the time, I also see now that you are not totally useless."

"I am not worth the honor, dear father."

"You're right that a war is too costly and too risky. We will talk with Robert, but we will also get Cersei back as soon as possible. We will teach him a lesson what happens when he puts his hands on one of my family. If I start a war for you, I cannot lean back for my daughter who also happens to be still Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."

"So, what is you plan then, father?" Jaime asked.

"Jaime, you will take a few of my elite troops to King's Landing. Not to besiege the city or to have an open battle, but to release Cersei from her cell. You know your way around there so it should be relatively easy to find for you. Be aware that you have to travel in secret, so that means no banners or other signs for you and your soldiers. Reach King's Landing in the night if possible and release my daughter, bring her back over here and we will teach the king a lesson. We won't start a war, neither would Robert."

Jaime nodded affirmatively. He would probably still prefer an open war, Tyrion thought, but at least this plan would bring back Cersei soon, if everything would go according to plan. Also for him the plan did sound alright. It was still a compromise, but it appeared to be a nice one.

"I can be there in four days", he answered sarcastically.

"And what's my role in this, father?" Tyrion asked.

"You stay here to advise me. You might give me some more nice ideas", Tywin said grudgingly, "now leave me alone so I can give it some more thought myself."

Tyrion got up and walked out, followed by Jaime. He noticed his brother's face, which did not betray any emotion. However, he could sense something was not right. Something that his brother was withholding from him.

"Did you speak the truth about you and Bran Stark?" he asked.

"No. I pushed him deliberately."

"Why?"

"Don't ask me that. All you have to know is that I was not involved in the assassination attempt and that I did not try to blackmail you. At least I was honest in that part."

"Good", Tyrion answered, "it has something to do with you and Cersei, hasn't it? That is why the king summoned you. He probably found out about your little secret."

"Could be. How do you know?" Jaime asked.

"I do not."

"Fine. Why didn't you tell Father of your suspicion?"

"Well, in case another war is coming, I personally think we need fewer enemies instead of more. We better keep our lines closed dear brother, so that is why I do not want to upset Father. I wish you would do the same."

Jaime shook his head. "You don't know."

"Of course not, I wouldn't dare to think of you doing something inappropriate. Yet, you and your girlfriend will drag us in a war that might cost us our heads."

"She is NOT my girlfriend."

"Yes, she is not. That would have made things a little easier, wouldn't you agree? But now you are going to march to King's Landing and save our beloved sister. How romantic."

Jaime cursed something indistinctly as he walked away. Tyrion smiled, while thinking about how little he really cared about the legacy of House Lannister, which has been his father's obsession. However, he knew that as long as there are people who want all Lannisters dead, his life was not safe either. Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms knew whom he was and what he looked like. A war would reduce his survival chances terribly, so therefore he would gladly help to prevent it. He really hoped that negotiating with Robert would settle the tensions, though he somehow doubted its chances of success. After all, Robert could be unpredictable as well and if he had really found out about the twincest, his wrath would be beyond any reason. So in case it could not be avoided, which Great Houses would be willing to support their cause? The Baratheons would be supported by at least House Stark and House Tully and maybe House Arryn. The Greyjoys were untrustworthy partners and only cared about their drowned god. House Martell is not that fond of Lannisters, since Gregor Clegane slayed Elia Martell and her Targaryen children during the Sack of King's Landing. It seemed that House Lannister would be on their own, unless the neutral forces of House Tyrell would decide to choose their sides.

House Tyrell... they could be the key to his family's survival. He should not forget about that, Tyrion thought. War may be coming.


	4. Eddard II

**Chapter 4**

**Eddard**

Eddard Stark was on his way for the important meeting with the Small Council. He knew he was a bit late as he paced through the halls of the Red Keep that lead him to the council chamber. On his way he greeted a few Gold Cloaks who were patrolling the area. Sometimes they would greet them back, sometimes they did not. It depended on their mood, Ned had found out. In the past few months he had learned that Gold Cloaks were not the most likeable guys to have around, but that could be said of many people in King's Landing.

Oh, how he missed Winterfell. Nothing in the capital felt like home. Ned was not made for dealing with the snakes and rats that lived in this city, sometimes in very high positions. Speaking of Varys for example, the Spider, whose little birds could be anywhere. The thought made Ned always feel uncomfortable whenever the eunuch was around. He knew the birds were most likely watching him as well, although it amused him that this must be quite a lazy job for them.

The King eats and the Hand shits, Robert had said when he asked him to become Jon Arryn's successor. To him it felt more like the Hand worked and the King didn't care. He had developed the uncomfortable feeling that Robert did not really take his Hand's advice seriously. The same could be said of the pit of snakes that called itself The Small Council and that had gathered in the council chambers he just entered. Being welcomed by Pycelle, Varys and Renly, he immediately noticed that Littlefinger and the king were not there yet.

"Where is Lord Baelish?" Ned asked. He took his usual place next to Pycelle, while Varys sat right across him next to an empty chair that normally belonged to Littlefinger. Renly was seated at the far end of the large table.

"I am here, Lord Stark", he heard a familiar voice say from behind. "I'm delighted you've been awaiting my presence."

"Welcome, Lord Baelish. Take your seat so we can start the meeting once the king is present as well", Ned answered.

"The king?" the little man answered with a trembling surprise in his voice. "What did we do wrong this time?"

Varys rolled his eyes and looked away. Renly took a zip from his wine, apparently ignoring the question as well. It was Pycelle who broke the awkward moment of silence.

"These are times of great distress, Lord Baelish. The queen has committed treachery, yet she is still the queen. This must be difficult days for our king and it is up to us to give him council and help him through these turbulent days."

"Your Grace", Varys interrupted the Grand Maester and rose from his chair. The others joined him in silence as the King took his seat next to his Hand.

"Where is my other brother?" Robert asked impatiently while Ned filled the king's cup with wine.

"Lord Stannis is attending business for the Crown at Dragonstone, Your Grace", Littlefinger answered. "He has been there for the past few months, as you might have noticed before."

"Spare me your mocking, Baelish", Robert responded. "Ned, order him to return to King's Landing as soon as possible. There is nothing more important right now than to have both of my brothers at my side in the dark days that lie ahead."

"Of course, Your Grace", Ned answered, "Shall we start with our meeting now?"

"Seventeen years", the King said thereby ignoring his question. "Seventeen years it has been since I won the war, since I slayed Rhaegar Targaryen and disposed the Mad King. For seventeen years I've held this bloody thing together, but now it seems I am losing it. The Starks and Lannisters are fighting each other, across the Narrow Sea is a living Targaryen heir with a Dothraki army lurking for revenge, but I almost got myself killed by the woman who still happens to be my wife. It is time to get rid of our enemies once and for all. How is Cersei doing, Grand Maester?"

"She is taken care off, Your Grace", the old man answered. "She is being held in her private cell, isolated from her children and other prisoners. This way she has all time to reflect on her perversity and despicable deeds."

"Good. She is running out of time however. I want the trial and execution to be carried out in three days", Robert bluntly responded.

Execution?! _No more war_ Eddard Stark had told himself, but the King appeared to think differently. What in the Seven Hells was Robert up to?

"Execution? But that's... that's unheard of...", Pycelle mumbled in utter confusion.

"If I may speak freely, Your Grace", Varys began, "killing her is a rather harsh decision. A living Cersei is a very valuable hostage, for whom Lord Tywin will pay a high ransom for sure."

"A ransom that we are eager to accept. The crown is short of money. Let Lord Tywin bleed gold instead of chopping of the head of his only daughter", Littlefinger added.

Ned looked at the King, hoping that he would change his mind and listen to the councilors. He begged that for once Robert would listen to them or at least to him. But Robert only listened to his own fury as he was losing his temper once again.

"I don't care about what Lord Tywin will pay for, you damned fools!" he exclaimed as he slammed his fist on the council table. "I won the war seventeen years ago, while that cowardly piece of shit was hiding on Casterly Rock. Only when he realized that I was winning battle after battle he took King's Landing himself and "gave" it to me as a token of his loyalty which will last as long as I serve his personal agenda. That is how Lord Tywin thinks, stubborn fools, and that is why I am sick of Lannisters paying their debts. That must sound familiar for you as well, doesn't it Ned?"

Robert's Hand ignored the fierce eyes that tried to find his, looking for affirmation. But Eddard Stark returned his gaze with silence.

Robert sighed and shook his head for a moment. "Look at you, Ned. What happened to you? Are you feeling sad for the woman's life? First the Targaryen girl and now this. Those years in the North have made you too soft, Ned."

Ned Stark took the king's words a lot harder than Robert had hit the table in his temper. With his own eyes full of disbelief and frustration he gazed straight into the eyes of his old friend.

"Seventeen years", he began, "seventeen years ago you told me how you despised Aerys Targaryen for the madman he was, obsessed with the joy of death and punishment. Look at who you have become now, Robert. A man obsessed with holding his power and a king who does not refrain from slaughtering women and children. What happened to the man I called my friend?"

"ENOUGH, Stark!" His deep voice silenced the council at once.

"Do you still remember my father and brother?" Ned continued. "Do you understand now why the Mad King killed them?" He knew this was not a wise thing to say, but he could not stop the flow of words coming out of his mouth anymore.

"ENOUGH!" Robert shouted. "Is this your advice and the way you address your king, Lord Hand?!"

"Brother, Lord Stark, please, we have a lot more to discuss", Renly interrupted.

Ned Stark knew he had made the King furious, but he did not care about it anymore. If the King would simply ignore his Hand, why should he care about being Hand then? The Hand of a King, who had become corrupted and obsessed and just did whatever he liked. Robert's fury was dragging the kingdom into a total unnecessary war, which would cost a lot of money the Crown didn't have. Yes, Ned despised Cersei as much as the king did, though he never believed he would be stupid enough to execute their most valuable hostage. It all felt so stupid. He wanted to walk away, but a part of him could not do it.

"Go on, Renly", the king replied while glaring at Ned. "Any news from the Lannisters?"

Renly did not reply, but looked at Varys instead.

"My birds told me that the Imp has been released by Lady Stark, Your Grace."

Catelyn has released the Imp? _Why would she have done that,_ Ned wondered.

"Furthermore, no news from Lord Tywin or the Kingslayer. The news of the capture of Cersei and her children must have reached them by now, but we still have to wait for their reaction. However, I doubt the Kingslayer will appear anytime soon", Varys continued.

"Yeah, what about the children, Your Grace?", Littlefinger asked.

Robert paused for a moment. "Forget about Tywin and the Kingslayer. They can wait. And about the children, I want them to live. They are... children. We can use them to manipulate Tywin as we'd like to."

"That's truly merciful of you, My King", Pycelle commented. _Shut up_, Ned thought.

"Do not forget that as long as the boy Joffrey is alive, Lord Tywin will consider him the heir to the Iron Throne and try everything to get him back in that position", Varys responded cautionary.

"Tywin Lannister will rot in hell before he could succeed in that. My brother Stannis is my heir. I will declare that publicly. No one will accept a bastard like Joffrey on the Iron Throne after that."

Varys continued. "I also received a message from Jorah Mormont, telling me that Daenerys Targaryen has survived an assassination attempt."

Robert looked clearly annoyed as he took a deep breath. "Did we send the assassin?"

"Yes", Renly answered, "but we will send another one of course."

"And a better one this time! I want her dead! Now, all of you out so I have some time to reflect on this myself!"

"Well, we weren't actually finished, Your Grace", Littlefinger replied.

"We are if I say so. Be gone!"

As Ned Stark and the others were reluctantly leaving the council chamber, he was halted by the King.

"Not you, Ned. Sit down and have some wine", Robert said offering him the pitcher of wine, but Ned politely refused.

"You don't refuse your king. Drink."

Ned followed the orders, but the wine did not taste very well. His frustrations had taken away the joy of drinking, for which Robert seemed to have an immunity. The uncomfortable feelings had boiled up inside him for months. It was more than just today's meeting; it was the realization that whatever he would say to the king, Robert would barely listen to him. It made him feel agitated, useless and homesick of Winterfell. As speaking up would not help, Ned thought, he decided to remain silent.

"It's not the same, Ned", Robert began. "Your father and brother were executed for no reason and Aerys Targaryen even enjoyed it. Do you think I enjoy it as well? Let's me being honest with you as I have always been with you. I hate to do this, Ned. I did not love the woman, but the thought that I am going to have her executed is constantly haunting me. And the children... I really cannot harm them, even if it would be wiser to do so. Until a few days ago I believed Cersei was the mother of my children and that our marriage had held the realm together all those seventeen years. Now I don't know in what to believe anymore. Would you believe it, Ned? What would you do when you were told that your Cat has betrayed you all those years and that all your children are bastards?"

Robert's words somehow struck him. He suddenly felt sorry for the man, because it must indeed be horrible what he was going through these days. But still that did not make him feel comfortable with the situation. If Robert really felt so confused, why would he not be a little bit less stubborn?

"Why is it that you never seem to listen to me?" Ned asked.

He had not expected Robert's loud laughter to kick in so suddenly.

"You talk like a woman, Ned. Let me tell you something. I might ignore your honorable northern wisdom another hundred times, but don't forget that I stand with you. As long as I am around, I will save your frozen-cold ass from Lannister filth or whatever else is threatening you. And there will be a lot of threats in the days that lie ahead, that I am sure of. Let it not divide us, instead I hope we will fight together as we did seventeen years ago. After all, both of us need fewer enemies instead of more."

Ned shook his head. "How can we stand together, when I do not agree with you? First, you throw Cersei and her children in some dark dungeon and now you want to chop of her head, dragging the Seven Kingdoms in another exhausting war. Why would you dishonor yourself like this?"

"Are you mad?! The woman tried to murder me and she has been fucking with her brother for years. And you, the honorable Ned Stark, are telling me that I am dishonoring myself? You never cease to amaze me, Ned. She will face the consequences of her crimes and I will punish her for that. That is what I call justice, can't we agree on that at least?"

"No", Ned responded coldly.

Robert frowned. "And for fuck's sake, I don't give a damn about whether we agree or not! This isn't the North, where the cold seemingly dulled your lust for conflict. If the two of us would agree on everything, we would all pray to the same gods and I would execute Cersei myself, but instead I let Ilyn Payne do it. And it doesn't have to come to war." He let out another loud laughter, which slightly annoyed Ned.

"Tell me how."

"Alright, Ned, I know that if Tywin Lannister is stupid enough to march against me, I will crush him like I crushed Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident. The man is not stupid, he knows he is military outnumbered and he would like to see his grandchildren back, alive. So, I do not know what he will be up to, but it will be something else than simply marching his armies towards our gates. But there is something I am asking of you as well."

Ned found himself surprised that Robert was actually making sense here. He had thought the King just felt the urge to pick up his warhammer again and used this conflict to satisfy his own wishes. However, besides the big talk Robert actually appeared to have some cunning plan. _Seventeen years of ruling had at least taught him something_, he thought.

"And that is?" he asked.

"Send a raven to Winterfell. Tell your son Robb to take his preparations to call the banners of the North. Do not let him march yet, as long as there are no other signs that it will actually come to war. Tywin Lannister should be aware of this threat from the North, together with the troops of the Crownlands and Storm's End, he might think twice before calling his banners, especially if he does not want his grandchildren to be harmed."

"And do not forget about the troops of the Riverlands and the Vale", Ned said. "I am sure they will follow you as well. But you just told me you will not harm the children?"

"Lord Tywin will not be sure about that. I am counting on you, Ned."

When Robert was gone, Ned decided to leave as well for his own chamber in the Tower of the Hand. On his way back he could not take his thoughts away of what Robert had said. He still felt that killing Cersei was not an honorable thing to do, though in all honesty he couldn't care less about a dead Lannister. He could also not deny that the matter seemed less foolish than he had initially thought. Lord Tywin would indeed not go to war without decent chances to win and they would not give him those chances. The military threat from the North and other loyalists and the hostage of his grandchildren should give Robert a serious advantage. But Ned also knew that you should never underestimate Tywin Lannister. Therefore, he just hoped for the sake of his family that they would maintain the peace. Everything would hopefully deescalate soon, so he would not have to drag his wife and children into a war as well. They were a lot safer in the safe haven of Winterfell after all…

…_except for Sansa and Arya who were still in King's Landing._ Damn, how could he have forgotten about them? He had already made arrangements for the ship that would take them back to the North, though it had not arrived while it should have a few days ago. As he wanted them on their way back as soon as possible, he decided to go for his alternative plan: an escort over land via the King's road.


End file.
